Trends Fuel Popularity of Community Colleges, Online Courses

Posted in: Steve's Marketplace
By Steve Nicklas
Sep 22, 2009 - 9:32:25 AM
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Editor's note:  Contributing Columnist, Steve Nicklas, expresses his views and insights on various topics of local interest in Steve's Marketplace _______________

Many U.S. colleges are hard for students to get into -- and hard for them to get out of, also.

Tighter academic standards, burdensome costs, and a weaker economy have formed a collective noose around the necks of many students. About one-third of all incoming college students (at two-year and four-year schools) fail out or leave in their first year; only about a half make it through to graduate.

These unsettling trends have fueled the momentum and popularity of community colleges, as well as on-line courses. Both offer lower costs, easier entry, and remedies for the costly room and board dilemma.

Some forecast that the days are limited of going off to the traditional college campus for four expensive years of studying, partying, and socializing. Except for those with excessive wealth or intelligence, the mode of internet learning or the community college down the street will become enticing.

Many college graduates are left with onerous debts to repay. Some do not graduate after becoming encumbered by college debts or disillusioned whether a degree will benefit them in a difficult job market. They instead opt to drop out and begin working.

Often, hopes of returning to college never materialize for dropouts. However, amid the worst job market in twenty years, some people are returning to college to pursue additional training in hopes of starting new careers.

An initiative by the Obama administration to support community colleges is born out of this development. The president will pledge $12 billion to produce more graduates from community colleges in the future --about 5 million of them. Community colleges enroll about 6 million students right now.

You don’t have to look far to witness the growth and prosperity of community colleges. The Florida State College campus in Yulee (formerly Florida Community College) is positioned ideally to provide college courses as well as technical training for our growing area.

Florida State College offers accessibility and resources to the local community. It is also offering some four-year degrees to offset the overcrowding at traditional four-year state colleges. Also,like other Florida colleges, it offers a variety of online courses to save campus space and also be flexible and accommodative to students. In addition, the internet boasts on-line text books, articles, curriculum, etc.

Other colleges are based almost solely online, such as rapidly growing Phoenix University. It has a small campus in south Jacksonville, for instance, but most students are enrolled in an exhaustive on-line curriculum.

The growth of community colleges and on-line classes will not likely impact major, prestigious universities -- especially those with mammoth endowments. Students attending these schools are often the most motivated to learn and succeed; therefore, these colleges are the most difficult to be accepted into, and also produce the highest graduation rates.

Many of these top schools also push students to gain experience through internships, and then assist them in landing a job upon graduation.  After all, the whole college experience is really about that -- graduating, and finding a good job in your field.

(Steve Nicklas is a financial advisor who lives on Amelia Island. He can be reached at 904-753-0236 or at thenicklasteam2@msn.com.)
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